Dropping Network ping to management IP

[LondonD]

I am setting up a test Lab and have 2 x HP Microservers. I have ESXi5 installed on both Boxes booting from 2GB USB flash.

I configured each with IP, subnet gateway (desktop pc).

I can ping the hosts from my PC. but get request about 4-5 timeouts quite often

No VMs are loaded on these hosts yet

Please help

[spravtek]

Your Desktop PC functions as a Gateway? Am I understanding this correct? Just so I get it right.

Desktop -- HPMS1 -- HPMS2

Why not use the same gateway as what is configured on your Dekstop? or is it directly connected to the Internet maybe?

I'm not saying this is a problem, it's just 1 step in finding out why you have timeouts.

Maybe you can give a little more info on your setup, write out your network config?

[PduPreez]

My 2 Cents

Network issues can be related to allot of different things :smileyplain:

You could try the following

- Is all the devices is on the same subnet

- Ping between hosts

- Ping from another device, like a laptop to your hosts

- Ping from Laptop to your Desktop

This could determine where the issue lies

If all results are the same there might be something wrong with your switch.

If the results are different we can dive deeper.

Please award points for helpful/correct answers

[LondonD]

@ Spravtec

All the devices is on the same network. 10.10.1.x/24

Desktop 10.10.1.1

ESXi1 10.10.1.3

ESXi2 10.10.1.4

D-Link 5 port gig switch

My Desktop is Ubuntu Linux

I have created a Win 7 VM on Workstation with IP 10.10.1.10 with the same results.

Pinging the Linux host 10.10.1.1 works 100% but obviously it does not pass through the physical switch

@ PduPreez

I actually did try with my laptop but removed it from the equation to simplify matters.

Pinging between Laptop and Desktop is fine

Pinging to the ESXi5 hosts times out intermittently as well

That's why I believe it is a issue on the ESXi5 hosts and not the Physical switch

I installed the ESXi using a VM on workstation because the Microservers do not have CD ROMs

Not sure if that would matter.

[PduPreez · Accepted solution]

Ahh

This triggers a memory

I had an issue once when I pre flashed the USB sticks with ESXi 4.1 for 30 Hosts, using winimage and the "image" file from the ISO.

Everything was working 100%

I then set up vMotion on the cluster and assigned an IP to each Host

I noticed that vMotion takes a long time, as in up to an hour :smileyshocked:

I pinged the vMotion IPs and they seemed to have the same issue you are experiencing.

After verifying there are no duplicate IPs and after some time of troubleshooting, I realized all the vMotion MAC address where the same.

The Host starts up and used physical MAC for Management but generates virtual MAC for vMotion.

Because this was cloned USB disk, the virtual MAC generation used the same algorythm which means they are all the same

Changing the virtual MAC manually is not recommended

So I bet in your case, installing ESXi 5 on a VM to the USB stick, it used the VMs MAC address.

And even after moving the USB stick to a different host, the Virtual MAC will stick.

Easiest way to change it is to reset configuration on one of your hosts through the console.

You will have to reconfigure the IP but it should use the physical MAC after reboot :smileycool:

Hope I'm right

[LondonD]

That was it!!

The Management Network MAC addresses were the same !!

Thanks allot

One question though

But why did it not change to the Physical MAC address like in your scenario?

[PduPreez]

In my scenario I flashed the USB sticks with the 900MB image file called “imaged” (I Think) using winimage

So it was not an actual ESXi Install.

You can’t however do this ESXi5 as the installation file structure is different

Regards,

Pieter du Preez | VCP

Consultant | VMware Professional Services

[spravtek]

Nice find, or should I say nice remember , PduPreez !

Glad it got solved.